As F1 continues to increase the number of races on its calendar, drivers and team personnel face more hectic schedules. Many suffer from jet-lag, including Williams’ Alex Albon who brought his 2023 Las Vegas GP experience to light.
Albon explained how, after FP1 of the inaugural race in Vegas, he was struggling to keep his eyes open. The session was abandoned after just eight minutes due to a loose drain cover, because of which FP2 too, started late – by 2.5 hours.
The delay didn’t go down well with drivers who were awake past midnight. Staying awake at such ungodly hours took a toll, and Albon speaks of the jet-lag. “I was so jetlagged. And they really wanted this FP2 to happen. Didn’t they? I don’t know what was going on. There must have been some insurance thing going on.”
“We’re doing 330 km/hr (205 miles/hr) down the straight and I am just like trying to keep my eyes open down the straight. Wasn’t fun,” the 28-year-old added.
The race too, wasn’t particularly comfortable for Albon who missed out on points. He could only finish P12 in that race, but was impressive taking the whole of 2023 into account.
His performances almost single-handedly helped Williams finish P7 in the standings at the end of the season. He scored 27 out of the 28 points the team amassed. 2024, however, hasn’t been too kind to the Thai-British driver so far.
Alex Albon and Williams’s difficult start to 2024
Williams has managed just two points after the first nine races of the 2024 season. They came thanks to Albon’s P9 finish in Monaco. In stark contrast, by this time last year, Albon had five more points.
Although the Grove-based outfit is struggling, it does seem that Albon and the team are witnessing an uptick in performance. This is because even though Albon retired in Montreal two weeks ago, he was unfortunate to have come out of the ace with zero points. That’s because Carlos Sainz made a mistake which took him out.
Speaking of how his race ended, Albon said (as quoted by formula1.com), “Frustrating as for sure points were available today“.
Therefore, with Williams showcasing promise in the last two races after a difficult start to the year, they will hope to finish at-least seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, a spot currently occupied by Haas.
